James stapleton



(No Model.) '2 'sheetssheet 1 J.. STAPLBTON. ROLLER COTTON GIN.-

No. 529,425. Patented NOV.- 20, 1894,

' (Nomoael.) 2 sheets-sheet 2.

J. STAPLBTON.

ROLLER COTTON GIN.

UNITED STATES PATENT EErcEo JAMES STAPLETON, OF RAYS MILLS, GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR OF ON E-HALF TO LEWIS OLEMENTS, OF SAME PLACE.

ROLLER COTTON=GlN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 529,425, dated November 20, 1894.

Appncanon niet rebmry 21,1894. sain No. 501,019. ntomas .To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES STAPLETON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rays Mills, in the county of Berrien and State of Georgia, have invented a new and useful Roller Cotton-Gin, of which the following` is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in cotton gins; and it has for its object to elect certain improvements in gins of the roller type whereby the operation thereof shall be rendered more effective.

With this in View the present invention principally contemplates certain improvements in the cotton gin patented to Stapleton and Ray, February 13, 1894, No. 514,629, and which improvements shall be directed to provide a gin thoroughly complete in every de.

tail and which, while having comparatively few operating parts, shall be very effective to secure a thorough ginning of the cotton operated upon.

With these and otherobjects in view, which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated,'and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings-Figure l is a perspective view of a cotton gin constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional View at one side of the vertically reciprocating stripper blade. Fig. i is a side elevation of the gin with the inclosing face plate removed, and the upper portion of which is shown partly in section. Fig. 5 is a detail in perspective of the stationary horizontally adjustableseed plate, showing in dotted lines the position of the horizontally reciprocating feed bar working thereover.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A A, represent the opposite triangularly shaped frame sides connected bythe intermediate front and rear inclined frame boards B and C, respectively, the front board B, being disposed at a greater inclination from a vertical plane than the rear or back board (J,J

and extending from the front lower-ends of the frame sides A, to a point near the rear side edges thereof to act in the capacity of a seed board or chute for directing the seed below and away from the gin devices, and the front edges of the frame sides beyond the inclined seed board B, are also connected by the seed apron D, provided with an upper curved end d, conforming to the projecting 'hopper portion d', formed at the upper end of the frame sides, and this seed apron serves to prevent the falling seed from scattering.

At the rear edges of the opposite frame sides near their upper ends and above the rear wall O, are arranged the bearing boxes E, which accommodate the journal ends of the smooth ginning roller F, mounted on the shaft f, and to one extremity of which is att-ached the wheel or pulley f', over which is adapted to pass the belt fwhich transmits motion to the ginning roller in the manner to be presently referred to.

The smooth ginning roller F, is adapted to draw the cotton through the gin in the usual manner, and the same is provided at its opposite ends inside of the boxes E, with the enlarged guard flanges G, of a greater diameter than the roller itself, and providing means for preventing the cotton from winding around the axle or shaft of the roller and becoming dirtied or soiled, as well as interfering with the free Working of the machine.

Arranged at one side of the ginning roller F, and extending above the same is a stationary retaining blade H, secured to the blade head or bar h, disposed transversely between the opposite frame sides A, in which sides the opposite extremities of said blade head or bar are adj ustably mounted as at h. The adjustment of the stationary retaining blade may be secured in any desirable manner to provide means for adjusting the same vertically and laterally, whereby the same may be relatively positioned with respect to the adjacent roller F, in the proper manner, so that the cotton being ginned may be freely drawn through the space between the blade and roller as usual.

The cotton drawn under the stationary retaining blade H, and carried over the ginning roller is stripped of its seed by means of the vertically reciprocating stripper blade I, working below and at one side of the station- IOO ary retaining blade. The .vertically reciproeating stripper blade is carriedby the bar t',

The slide blocks J, are guided to move or slide in the vertical guide grooves j, formed in the outer sides of the frame sides A, and extended from the gearing pockets or recesses j', which are formed in the frame sides to accommodate some of the gearing parts of the machine and protect the same from dust, grit, &c. The vertically reciprocating slide blocks J, are provided with widened adjustment openings K, in which loosely lit the ends of the stripper bar i, and which are laterally adjustable therein by means of the adjustment screws 7c, working through opposite sides of the said blocks and providing means for adjusting the stripper blade to and from the stationary retaining blade to regulate the Width of space therebetween. On the inside of the opposite frame sides are arranged the spring supporting .lugs L, which support in position the stripper springs Z, bearing under the stripperbart', at the opposite ends thereof and providing means for assisting the same in its upward movement, thereby relieving any undue strain on the gearing of the machine, inasmuch as these springs supplement the lifting devices for the stripper blade to the extent that the same power only is re'- quired to lift the stripper blade against the cotton as it is to move the same downward, and the proper reciprocations are given to the stripper blade by the eccentric connections M.

The eccentric connections M, are connected with the vertically reciprocating slide blocks J, and with the opposite eccentrics m, mounted on the transverse drive shaft m', and these eccentrics and eccentric connections, including the slide blocks J, are entirely incased or inclosed within the frame sides by the opposite removable face plates N, removably fastened to the frame sides and provided at suitable points with the slide doors n, covering openings which admit of convenient access to the connections and gearing for the purpose of oiling, &c.

The drive shaft m', is journaled transversely of the machine frame and principally turns in the bearings O, arranged inside of the frame sides out of the way of dust, die., and at one end of said drive shaft is attached the belt pulley o, to receive a suitable drive belt, while to the opposite end of said shaft outside of the frame is secured a pulley o', over which passes the lower end of the belt f 2, that gives motion to the gin rollervF.

Al stationary horizontal seed plate P, is mounted in the frame directly in front of the vertically reciprocating stripper blade I, and is provided withY a longitudinal series of seed slots or openings p, which allow the seeds stripped from the cotton to fall onto the seed board B, and to the front of the machine. The seed plate P, is attached -to the horizontally adjustable plate strip or bar p2 the opposite ends of which engage the horizontal grooves p', formed in the inner sides of the frame sides A, near their upper ends and communicating with the adjustment slots Q, through which work the screws q, that engage the opposite ends of the strip or bar p2, to provide for adjusting the same relatively close to the vertically reciprocating stripper blade.

A horizontally riciprocating feed bar R, is arranged to slideon top of the slotted seed plate and is adapted to keep the cotton fed onto the stripper blade as fast as ginned, and said feed bar has extended therefrom the attaching arms fr, connected to the horizontally moving rod S, the extremities of which project through and work in the slots s', in the opposite frame sides, and to which are loosely connected the extremities of the pitmen T, the other ends of which are fitted to the straps U, of the eccentric disks u, mounted on the shaft ends of the roller shaft f to provide means for operating said feed bar.

Above the horizontally reciprocating feed bar R, and in the inner sides of. the frame sides are cut the inclined grooves W, which removably receive the inclined feed or hopper board X, preferably provided at its lower inner edge with the fingers or comb Y, to procl vide for properly holding the cotton in position as it is engaged by the vertically reciprocating stripper bar.

Changes in the form, proportion and the minor detailsl of construction, may be re sorted to without departing from the principle onsacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a cotton-gin, the combination with the frame; of the ginning roller, the stationary retaining blade disposed at one side of said roller, a vertically reciprocating stripper blade working at one side of the roller, gearing for reciprocating the stripper blade, and supporting springs mounted Within the frame and arranged under the stripper blade to assist the upward movement of the same, substantially as set forth.

2. In a cotton gin, the combination with the opposite frame sides having inclosed vertical guide grooves and side slots opening therein; of the ginning roller mounted on the IOO IIO

frame, a stationary retaining blade adjust- 'adjustment openings to loosely receive. the ends of the stripper bar, adjustment screws mounted in opposite sides of the slide blocks and Working against the opposite side of the ends of said stripper bar; and devices mounted in the opposite frame sides and connected with the slide blocks to reciprocate the same, substantially as set forth.

8. In a cotton gin, the combination with the frame having an inclosed seed chute inner side grooves, and slots communicating with said grooves, the ginning roller mounted at one side of the frame, and the stripping device located at one side of said roller; of a horizontal stationary seed plate mounted at its ends in said grooves at one side of the stripping device, adjustment screws passing through said slots and engaging the ends of said plates a horizontally reciprocating feed over the seed plate and the bar slidin g thereon,

substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

JAMES STAPLETON.

Witnesses:

J. W. WHEELER, A. W. PATTERSON. 

